This past weekend was a biggie for community action so I thought I should share some photos and insights from 2 events I attended:

Occupy Toronto (as well as many major cities across Canada and the world) have joined the Wall Street movement in asking for major change of our Governments. This is a mass-movement which numbers show is supported by most people (and I am willing to bet would be supported by a great many more if they only knew what the heck it stood for). What’s of interest to me especially is the conversation that has been seeded in our local communities: what can we do on an individual scale to foster the change we wish for? (Didn’t some great person once say “you must be the change you wish to see in the world”?)

I see a lot of Ghandi shirts but I’d love to know more Ghandi hearts….I know there are many, so let’s chat neighbors! Of course it is very difficult at the moment to live 100% by our greatest ethical goals, but how/where we spend our money does have a huge impact on the economy.

Finally getting a lot of press coverage is the Melancthon County Mega Quarry fight. (Refer back to my post “Calcium for Consideration” for more info on how this issue in particular ties into FlowEnvironments interests). This weekends FoodStock event drew even more than the original endeavor aimed for: 20,000 ended up being somewhere around 28,000 supporters! Even though the weather was dismal it was an amazing event to raise awareness of  land stewardship. Our interest in maintaining safe drinking water as well as the fertile land that feeds so many in Ontario should not be ignored by our government.  We must demand change to the ancient Aggregate Act, and do whatever we can to ensure an Environmental Assessment of the project.

www.ndact.com will bring you the complete storey as well as links to sign petitions which will help ensure safe water and infrastructure surrounding this proposed project.

There are many surprising health considerations regarding MOLD where you dwell, especially if you are looking to buy or build. If you already know you have mold – or suspect you do – any consultations and remediation should be taken  on only by Trained Professionals (there are so many scam-artists who can not only take your money but also actually spread toxins throughout your environment).

This interview is really thorough and worth a listen if you suffer allergies/concentration/mood issues.

http://lewrockwell.com/mercola/mercola136.html

You may not see mold in your environment, it can be hiding behind the walls, floors and furnishings. If you are thinking about Renovations or Building New make sure to work with Professionals who understand the dangers of mold.

Any truly Sustainable Interior Designer, Architect or Contractor will be able to have a lengthy conversation with you about mold and how to assure that your environment will prevent it from settling in your home, work or recreation facilities.

I honestly cannot think of a sillier move than cutting Toronto’s tree program.

Most likely the best argument I can make is that Trees make Toronto money – This is what politicians want to hear so let’s go with that.
This city does not have much going for it architecturally compared to other cities but where we lack structure we have a flourishing cultural scene. The arts in Toronto bring tourists, and what brings tourists back and helps them spend their cash here is trees. I’m not kidding. Imagine walking around our neighbourhoods that surround Queen West, Little Italy, The Annex, Bloor West, Danforth, The Beaches without flourishing trees.

Here are 2 major things one will suffer without an abundance of trees:
1) heat- the sun radiating up from the sidewalk literally burning sensitive skin, exhausting folks who could potentially spend their money all day and all night.
2) disgust – truly, many of the neighbourhoods surrounding tourist areas are poorly maintained, it’s ugly, if you pay attention – particularly around the downtown core. The garbage people collect on their properties and the weeds renters don’t care to do a thing
about…Trees distract people from this sad truth. Our city is made more
inviting simply by having tree-lined streets. But that is addressing only the topical, the materialistic of visiting and wandering a city.

Other very huge factors to ponder:
-Trees keep houses and cars cool with their shade, lessening the strain on our power plants & distribution grids, our fuel consumption – obviously the carbon and other pollutants contributed to our fine air is reduced!
- clearly from the above the cost of health care being reduced as well with less need for cooling power in homes and cars, but also:
-TREES CLEAN THE AIR. duh. free and easy! Direct health-care for free,  the more you have the better off you are.
-Trees soak up rainwater and provide shade for other rain-soaking vegetation taking the pressure off storm water management
-Trees provide habitats for birds, critters and insects that we need to keep our city from becoming a wasteland, not to mention the beautiful soundtracks of those birds.
-Trees are psychological healers, they give people a sense of calm (less angry folks, less of a strain on our health and welfare systems)

There is so much more, but lastly I will offer:

-Trees flutter like art, free, ingenious art that has fed/cleaned and
inspired this planet for as long as we can conceptualise “forever” being….

Really now: why would trees ever be considered a waste of money? They are essential to our health, well-being and economy.

More info from Toronto Environmental Alliance:

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7c38cc1ca9cb1391cea5fce88&id=44979aa22a

While living in Nosara, Costa Rica I had the opportunity to get a private guided tour of the CST 5 leaf approved Harmony Hotel. The Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program; brought into practice Costa Rica Tourist Institute,  allows any tourism-targeted business to voluntarily take part in maintaining (or authenticating if you want to get real about the issue) Costa Rica as a eco-destination. Maximum rating is 5 leafs, of which only13 hotels in the country hold. The rating system is similar on many points to the LEED program here in Canada.

Harmony has laid out its vibrant sanctuary 200 meters back from the oceans edge (200 m’s of protected wildlife habitat implemented by the Ostional Wildlife Refuge) in the surf/yoga town of Nosara. The Hotel has been carefully planned from it’s birth 6 years ago. The land it sits upon was cleared for cattle farming long ago, but Harmony is reintroducing the astoundingly natural beauty of regional species back onto the land.

During my time in Nosara I became a fixture at the hotels organic juice/coffee bar as well as the yoga studio in the Healing Centre – the invigorating landscape and architecture matching the folks who tend the hotel perfectly made for a brilliant home-away-from-home.

Some of the features Harmony has incorporated into the facility include:

• on-site vegetable and herb garden, nutrient-rich soil from hotel kitchen waste compost
• landscaped gardens irrigated via uv filtered grey water system from hotel
• water consumption and electricity use monitored throughout the hotel
• thorough on site composting of food and garden clippings for reuse on property
• rigorous recycling collection, diverting where possible and weighing waste to monitor their impact
• collection and seedling program aimed at the reintroduction of native plant species to the hotel property and surrounding land
• education for guests, beautiful pathways labeling the vegetation, frequented by gorgeous birds and butterflies!
• sustainably oriented book and gift store (also happens to be the only enclosed air conditioned space for guest use)
• lighting on sensors in public restrooms
• reusable hand towels
• copper, silver and zinc ion pool (no chlorine)
• weekly documentary showings focusing on healthy lifestyle and sustainable living
• educational workshops and tree planting along the beach for local community and guests
• safe, clean, convenient and economical community living for staff on site
• bio-diesel generator that kicks in 3 seconds after power in the area fails (which happens fairly frequently)

For  more info or to book a trip to Nosara Harmony Hotel visit www.harmonynosara.com

Thank you to Gerardo and Harmony Hotel for the informative tour & your geniune concern for the health of Costa Rica’s ecology!

For all that we do and effect, through our daily choices (from what we feed our bodies and bring  into our interior environment to where we choose to shop and vacation). When we get sick do we ask only how to feel better? Or are we wise enough to ask how did this happen and how can I prevent this from happening again? Going further: how can I help others understand what I have learned the hard way?

Tracing back to root causes can indeed be an endless task, however it is not fruitless to even just glance back even for a few moments. Sharing and discussions are never a lost cause when we open ourselves to possibility.

When I design I start with the question: what are we (as designer and client) interested in nourishing through this project? Every decision we make will impact both the habitants and the local habitat. What, where, how and often when, will either support growth in economy, ecology, community and spirit or inhibit it- even aid in its destruction(!).

So we make choices wisely, with eyes wide open every step of the way, and when we learn we share insight. Effecting change is easy with some thoughtful consideration.

So here is something that came up today: A proposed 2400 acre limestone quarry for the Shelbourne area of Southern Ontario, it could be the largest in all of Ontario if it goes ahead. Please read about it here: http://goodfoodrevolution.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/mega-quarry-threatens-local-food-production/

Limestone has historically been used in architecture of course and we still use it thusly for many finishes. It is also a cheaper filler in  many personal products, a calcium source for foods and many other interesting applications. But most likely the use of the limestone in this quarry will be for construction purposes: aggregate for road ways as well as concrete and mortar.

Now from where I sit writing I can tell you 2 things about these last uses for limestone and they hit very close to my heart presently:

1) Limestone for road ways – here in Nosara, Costa Rica (indeed much of the Nicoya Peninsula from my experience) the roads seem to be the base gravel of the land- they are very bumpy, dusty and dangerous to navigate (even on foot!). In some areas they are coated with molasses (a local informed me) to keep the dust down and minimize erosion. I suspect the local tourist industry is kept calm because of the terrible road conditions here. Transportation is expensive or inconvenient. And this is a good thing, the reason for which I will get to after my second point.

2) Limestone for concrete, concrete as a building material. The weight of the concrete you pour is the weight of the carbon it’s production puts into the air. Mix your own concrete by hand to understand this fully. There are other options. Remember the devastation still being experienced in Haiti: concrete is mass, it’s not strong and it’s not smart. There are other options. Concrete is used as nearly an entire structure in many many places including Costa Rica. It’s cheap and quick, anyone can do it. Here in Nosara there are a great many lot’s for sale. The surfing is brilliant and the weather is beautiful much of the north American winter season. So there are quite a few people setting up part time homes here. From what I have witnessed there is a a massive amount of concrete being poured on this amazingly fragile ecosystem.

If it weren’t for the incredibly awful roads there would be many more tourists in the area. Why wouldn’t it be good to have more tourists you ask? (Well besides the additional concrete construction that would likely occur) ask yourself and your friends this before you choose your next destination: what infrastructure is in place to support and protect the local community where I am visiting? Because you may be very surprised.

For instance I have discovered that residents here do not have municipally funded garbage removal. The local dump is as safe and useful as simply throwing your bags of un-sorted garbage into the local forested parkland (only here it’s a jungle that houses howler monkeys,  many amphibians and a plethora of incredibly rare and beautiful birds, butterflies and insects that are all diminishing in population) . I am looking into who is responsible for removing the garbage from the public areas (like the beach). After a recent surf competition the beach was covered with litter – this was cleaned up by do-gooders and local business owners, but the pile of gatherings still sits by the parking lot.

Everytime I take a shower, use a sink or flush a toilet I wonder where that waste water is going – what it’s affecting, no one seems to be able to answer that question. Another thing to look into. I am glad to see that many of the local personal products are ecologically safe to dispose of in septic beds.

So I beg of all to consider your impact in your daily home life AND when you are traveling afar. Adjust to suit the scene you set yourself in: bring re-usable containers, eat in restaurants instead of getting take-out, minimize your use of products that will be absorbed by the earth in your immediate vicinity, figure out your journey efficiently in contrast to renting an SUV and touring to your adventurous hearts desire…. and for Pete’s sake: realise that when you are visiting a tropical climate it’s really hot so give the power generation plants a break and learn to live with or passively manage the temperature of your room.

Ahem, please excuse me for the rant.

Here are a few articles from the local news:

Garbage dump issues: http://www.voiceofnosara.com/index.html

Police issues: http://www.voiceofnosara.com/04_11_regional_07.html

Monkey rehabilitation: http://nosarawildlife.com/

Thank you, Gracias and Namaste

The rancho and surrounding landscape have revealed to me “poco a poco”every day. The dry hot climate is lush even though it is somewhat dusty in the winds.

Working with the intention of Alya I have gotten to work on the design of the casitas, a “healing room” and various other facilities while the land on which they will be built is being cleared (by hand) by local workers. These people amaze me: Maximo is our main helper. He owns land here himself and gives a plot for farming to a family from his community each year to use however they like! Besides trying to teach me Spanish via the naming of my morning utensils Maixmo is a stealthy fellow who will tackle any task with dedication from soon-after-sunrise to about 1pm…then carrying on to another job!

Along side Maximo, the locally talented “Tuanis” (meaning cool in Spanish) and I have worked together to get the casitas, rancho kitchen and bathroom plans into action.

Each Alya casita will have a private bathroom, as well the main rancho will require one and then a few here and there along the land. Being on a mountain with no sewage is challenging, but perfect for composting! Facility design has taken a large part of my creative function here, I spend a lot of time thinking about the human comforts of cleaning and…ahem…”emptying.

A close second to that realm is the more architectural considerations of shelter: roof design has received a lot of my attention. Working with bamboo is our aim, somewhat challenging as the species we have and processing we are capable of are not ideal, however many people in these parts have used what is here and structures are holding well. The possibilities with bamboo are amazing!

Taking the reigns on the outdoor shower and learning the fine art of concrete block construction! Concrete is not a wonderful material due to it’s massive carbon footprint but we are building into the side of the hilltop with very little cash so we will use what is readily available, quick and STRONG.

One of my main focuses while here is making sure Alya’s development has minimal impact on the land. Some garbage materials that were on site upon my arrival can be salvaged (glass bottles to help with drainage walls, cardboard to create beds for some shallow rooting plants that require more water than the hot clay hillside will allow, cans will take up space within the concrete block walls..).

Lastly.. The forest creatures have been amazing hosts! Howler Monkeys still holla most days, the “kitchen” is frequented by a lovely spotted skunk and lizards checking for dropped food bits, Scorpions battle on the shower wall top and Tarantulas guard the plumbing  pipe pile…don’t get me started on the tool shed security! We have had some large visitors as well: a blonde cow named Mary checked out our garden and a shy white spotted horse peeked in but was too shy to stay for a beer…maybe next time!

Alya Retreat Centre will blossom forth from the mountains of the Pacific rim of Coasta Rica, only a 20 minute motor bike ride from Nosara (local wellness and surf town), and 1 hour from Tamarindo (popular tourist destination).

Local organic market owner and Kundalini Yoga Instructor Shlomo Eizent purchased this 22 acre rolling lot with the vision of plentiful fruit and vegetable gardens nestled between yoga decks, outdoor showers, healing space and Casitas built from local materials such as clay, bamboo, teak and pochute.

When I arrive in the pitch black of Saturday February 5^th’s night the site seems to draw me into its jungle embrace. The existing structure is romantically lit with a single yellow bulb casting beautiful shadows up the rough timber framed height and onto  the steel roof…but it’s the surrounding  palms, pochute and clay hills that welcome me. The sweet smell of my new colleague chopping a coconut for me to drink let’s me know this is a place of vibrancy that I have missed in the Canadian winter of home. The rich air here is soothing to the skin and lungs.

We sleep on the open second floor of the building; howler monkeys wake me in the darkness of morning and continue to call to the sun until it arrives. The jungle is dense and takes time to open itself to me over the next few days, but as it does I am continually amazed and pleased. Some of our house guests have been of course the howlers, a spotted skunk, a lizard, scorpions and a neighbor’s horse.

Our building crew now assembled is made up of Keith Dietrich: an earthen plaster expert with many years of experience in natural building and casting concrete both for interior finishing and structural applications. Sammy Straub: a fine young lady bringing her business background to our organization. She is pumped to learn and takes on any task with relish. I bring the design and project management force to the team, with a small quantity of natural building experience as well. Local builders will be called upon to fill in where our knowledge or man power needs assistance.

What is truly amazing about this endeavor though is not necessarily the environment we find our selves within or the concept of Alya Yoga Retreat Centre but rather the environment we create in compliment with the land: in keeping with the intention of the final result Shlomo was fortunate to have found a path to some very spiritually inclined volunteers. Our work site will flow with strong ambition and drive toward this mighty goal but in every task and interaction we respect and take pride in our complete environment – the land, the creatures inhabiting it, of which we are only 3.

Personally this is an adventure I am sooo very grateful to be invited to be a part of. The role of project management and designer is not new, but the material and environment is, so I am very thankful for the brilliant collaboration with KD and locals propelling my knowledge further into this tropical climate.

Working in Costa Rica is a bit of a dream setting for sure, but working here, with these individuals, with this hearty intention shall be a bit hard to describe my gratitude.